Coastal Reserve advisory committee meetings planned

Update from NCDEQ May 10: The Bald Head Wood Local Advisory Committee meeting has been changed from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 18.

Original post:

The local advisory committees of eight North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve sites will hold meetings later this month.

The North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, a division of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, oversees the reserve program established in 1989 to protect natural areas for education, research and compatible traditional uses.

These committees offer reserve staff guidance and feedback regarding program activities and management of the 10 reserve sites totaling more than 44,000 protected acres.

The following meetings, all open to the public, are scheduled:

• Bald Head Woods Reserve 10 a.m. May 18 in the Bald Head Island Conservancy’s Media Center, 700 Federal Road, Bald Head Island.
• Zeke’s Island Reserve 11 a.m. May 20 in North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher,
  900 Loggerhead Road, Kure Beach.
• Bird Island Reserve 2 p.m. May 20 in Sunset Beach Town Hall – Conference Room
  700 Sunset Boulevard North, Sunset Beach.
• Currituck Banks Reserve 2 p.m. May 23 in Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education
  1160 Village Lane, Corolla.
• Kitty Hawk Woods Reserve 10 a.m. May 24 in Kitty Hawk Town Hall, 101 Veterans Memorial Drive, Kitty Hawk.
• Masonboro Island Reserve 10 a.m. May 25 in University of North Carolina Wilmington Center for Marine Science Habitat Room, 5600 Marvin Moss Lane, Wilmington.
• Buxton Woods Reserve noon May 25 in Fessenden Center, Buxton.
• Rachel Carson Reserve 3 p.m. May 26 in NOAA Beaufort Laboratory – Reserve Classroom, 101 Pivers Island Road, Beaufort.

Local advisory committee meetings for Emily and Richardson Preyer Buckridge Reserve in Tyrrell County and Permuda Island Reserve in southeast Onslow County will be in the fall.